


First Day

by eyes0ny0u



Category: SHINee
Genre: Fluff and Crack, High School, Humor, Other, References to Ouran High School Host Club
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-25 18:36:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20376250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eyes0ny0u/pseuds/eyes0ny0u
Summary: Rich people are crazy.





	First Day

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: 43  
Prompt Summary: It's Lee Onew's first day as a scholarship student at the prestigious SM Academy and as his bad luck would have it, he ends up breaking a 100 million vase in the Music Room, where the Host Club runs their daily after-class activities. In order to repay the debt, he's roped in by the other club members (Jonghyun, Kibum, Minho and Taemin) to work as a host.

Onew trudged his way up the stairs, marvelling at the marble floor and soaring ceiling. The place looked like one of those grand theatre houses where formal dress codes were strictly observed. When he reached the top of the stairs, Onew glanced down at the schedule in his hand, checking the room number again - Theater Club, Music Room A. 

The soft strain of piano playing could be heard from his left. Without bothering to check the door number, Onew followed the sound, hitching his backpack higher on his shoulder. This was the moment he needed to prove his worth to the school. 

The prestigious SM Academy was only accessible to the rich. With his dad's sixty-five thousand a year gross pay, it hardly put him in the same socio-economic group as the regular attendees of the school. But while he may not have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he was born with a golden voice. 

No one could deny that he was a talented singer and every school he had applied to with a performing arts scholarship had wanted him. He had chosen SM because graduating from the school practically assured him acceptance from any of the SKY (Sungkyunkwang, Konkuk, Yonsei) universities. Not to mention the connections he would be making. 

But more than the practical advantages of being in SM, Onew just loved to sing and being in SM was going to let him do what he loved the most and still help out at home. He knew his singing days were numbered. Once he graduated high school, it would be time to plan a path that would land him a regular paying job in some multi-national company like Samsung. 

That was years in the future. Today he wants to be accepted so can he can sing.

With his heart pounding in his ears, Onew opened the door to the Music room where he could hear the piano playing. He recognized the piece immediately it was The Music of the Night. Practice must already be underway. He didn't think he would be late. But he hadn't realized how big the school was and how long it would take to get from one building to another. 

Onew opened the door and peeked inside. The entire room was dark and except for the candles sitting atop the piano where a guy with light hair sat playing the piano in his full 18th-century costume. Onew was surprised at the entire set-up. This was the first day of school and the theatre club was already practicing in full costume. 

The level of dedication was impressive and somewhat intimidating. Onew eased the door shut trying to make sure he didn't make any sound. He stepped a little further into the room, peering in the darkness behind his glasses, trying to make out the other people in the room. With his sight adjusting to the gloom, Onew was starting to make outlines of people seated around the piano. 

Everyone was not dressed in the period clothing. Other than the guy playing the piano and three others that he could see. Onew wondered if this was an audition for the lead role. And he was late. Damn. He wondered if he could still try out a little later after he made his apologies. 

In the meantime, he was going to assess the competition. Onew took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and pushed his glasses further up his nose. He can do this.

Moving further into the room, arms extending in front of him. Something tripped him and he stumbled forward with a cry. Both hands extending in front to brace him. Onew reeled into what felt like a short pedestal, that hit him square on the chest. The thing tilted forward and he scrambled to wrap his arms around the short column to keep it upright. Jinki managed to stop it from complete toppling over, but something danced on top of it before crashing to the floor. 

The piano stopped playing with the startled gasp of the people in the room. A moment later, the lights came on, revealing Onew in a half-squat, arms wrapped around the pedestal, the shattered pieces of what may have been a vase, littered around in front of him.

A tall guy who towered over everyone started to make his way towards Onew. The guy was easily six foot two, looking dapper as hell in his costume even with the creepy mask. 

"I'm sorry," Onew said, taking a step back from the approaching guy, still clutching the pedestal. "I couldn't see where I was going."

Onew peered over his slipping glasses, eyes darting about trying to find the moderator. All he saw were students who looked his age, watching him in puzzlement.

"Who are you?" a guy with the a gold-embellished half mask asked from across the room. He lounged between two girls, arms spread over the backrest. 

"He's done for," the guy standing behind the half mask predicted, idly twirling one of the girl's hair around a finger. 

"Where _is_ Kibum?" the guy playing the piano asked. "I would have thought he'd have flown the handle by now."

"Hardly. He'd never be so uncouth."

"Well, it's not every day that his white jade vase is broken."

"He smashed his Lambo and barely said anything."

"That was his fault so he had no one to blame."

"Plus, he's not as crazy about cars as he is with art."

"True. He's been on a vase phase lately."

"Like I said, he's done for, whoever he is."

Onew listened to the exchange confused. Heart still pounding at the mention of white jade. Did he just break an expensive vase?

"What happened?" 

A voice asked behind Onew. The dreaded Kibum has arrived, he guessed from all the smirks making their way around the costumed guys' faces. 

"Is that my vase?" the new guy asked stepping around Onew to clearly see the damage. 

The room held its breath as Kibum bent to pick up a curved piece. It was examined and flung back to the floor. The women flinched at the sound of jade breaking into several pieces. 

"Your handiwork, I assume?" Kibum asked Onew, eyes travelling a slow meandering path from the tips of his rumpled hair to the crumpled shirt down to his pleated pants 

"Uh, I - ah, " Onew stammered, arms tightening around the pedestal as his mind raced for excuses. But the pale pieces scattered at his feet were undeniable he realized with a slump of his shoulders. “Yes, I'm sorry."

The release of tension from his shoulder’s reminded Jinki he was clutching a heavy pedestal like it was Mr. Jojo, his favourite teddy bear.

"Apologies are all well and good," Kibum said, glancing at the pieces. "But what are we going to do now?"

"I'll pay for it of course," Onew offered, hands clutching tightly at the grooved texture of column, as he recalled his bank balance. He glanced at the spectators and licked his dry lips. "Would you like to settle this elsewhere?"

"Oh, don't worry about us," Lothario by the couch called out with a wide smile. 

"_We_ don't mind the entertainment," Lothario number two chimed in. 

Onew decided to dislike the two. Vowing to stay far away from them if he survived this encounter with Kibum. 

There was a pause as Kibum regarded him. Onew wanted to look away in embarrassment but held the other's gaze. He was hoping there wouldn't be a scene.

“I'm sorry, ladies,” Kibum announced, flashing a smile in all direction. “That's it for today.”

Onew heard groans from the couch with the soft feminine murmurs as the girls stood up. While it was obvious they were reluctant to leave, they heeded Kibum's announcement as if it was law. 

“We promise to make it up to you,” Kibum called out to the retreating figures whispering among themselves. Somehow, Onew's nervousness doubled at the words, meeting the feline eyes slanted his way.

Maybe Onew shouldn't have asked to talk in private. The audience may have stopped whatever insidious plan Kibum was hatching. Hopefully, it didn't involve murder. 

Onew controlled a flinch at the heavy thud of the hardwood door. The only people left in the room was the guy at the piano, the guys by the couch, the tall guy who was now hanging with another guy he didn’t notice earlier, by a table laid out with food. And Kibum of course, who had not moved from where he stood.

“Three hundred thousand,” Kibum said.

“Excuse me?” Onew gulped.

“The vase. It's worth three hundred thousand.”

Onew stared at Kibum hoping he would laugh and call “Psyche!”

But no one laughed or snickered. They just stared at him expectantly.

“Three hundred thousand won!” Onew exclaimed, blanching at the realization that his savings will barely cover it.

“USD, actually,” Kibum corrected, with a quirk to his lips, as if the assumption was amusing.

Onew felt cold all of a sudden. A ringing in his ears drowned out everyone in the room. He wanted to contest the amount but something told him Kibum was not the type to lie. 

_He was going to get kicked out of school and will have to work all his life to pay the debt off. And that was the best-case scenario. Worst case they throw him in debtor's prison. _

_But he was a minor, they can't send him to prison. Would that make his father liable? Would he be forced to pay in his stead? What if they sent them to prison instead? His dad wouldn't survive it. What if - _

“Sit,” a voice told him as firm hands pulled the pedestal from his grip and another pair pushed on his shoulders.

Onew's legs collapsed beneath him as if made of rubber. But instead of sinking straight to the floor he was sitting on an ottoman.

“Drink this,” someone else said. A hand wrapping his hands around a glass. 

“No, I don't -,” Onew tried to refuse, afraid he would throw up if he ingested anything. 

“Drink it,” Kibum commanded reaching over and guiding the glass to his lips. 

Cool frizzy Coke met his tongue. The carbonated drink settled his nerves and the world came into focus again. _Three hundred thousand American dollars?! What kind of school spends that amount of money on a goddamn vase?! And who was the idiot that put a priceless piece of artifact it in the middle of a room for anyone to bump into?_

“Me,” Kibum said.

“What?” Onew asked, staring at the guy, vaguely registering the chuckles in the background.

“The ‘idiot’ that put the priceless vase in the middle of the room was me,” Kibum elaborated, unperturbed.

Onew’s eyes bulged, realizing he had said out loud everything he was thinking. He looked around wildly as the other occupants of the room erupted into laughter.

“Yeah, Kibum,” Taemin guffawed from the couch. “What kind of an _idiot_ would buy a Qing dynasty vase for an after school programme?”

Kibum rolled his eyes at Taemin’s hilarity and ignored, what he considered, an asinine question. It was also hypocritical coming from the guy who talked his father into getting the Ashmolean Museum to loan them Leighton’s Acme and Septimius for last year’s Victorian-themed school gala.

“What an _idiot_,” Kai seconded, winking at Taemin next to him on the couch. It was a novelty for anyone to stand up to Kibum. He was heir to a conglomerate that most people would eventually work for. And anyone who actually knew Kibum, would never think he was an idiot.

But _this _newcomer had had the balls to blurt it out loud. He was either too low in the socio-economic ladder that he had no idea who he was talking to, or he was crazy or an idiot himself.

“Even the ladies are known to knock a few things over,” Jonghyun said in a musing tone, fingers floating over the piano keys for the opening of Chopin’s Minute Waltz. “It was an accident waiting to happen, to be frank.”

“Quite _idiotic _to put the vase in the middle of the room,” Minho chimed in, one elbow resting on the pedestal he confiscated from Onew. He was expressionless, but Kibum could see the gleam in his eyes, giving away his merriment.

“Aren’t we sure, It wasn’t Heechul that arranged for all if this to happen?” Kai asked. “He hated that the vase was where it was. He wanted a pool table instead.”

“Please,” Heechul sniffed, examining the pair of glasses he rescued from Jinki’s nose when he made him sit down. “I wouldn’t be so obvious as to be present when the deed is done.”

“Enough,” Kibum called out in exasperation. For some reason the others wants him to pardon the guy. He thought it might be because they found his word vomit amusing. And truth be told, he was becoming fascinated with the guy who was looking up at him with bewildered eyes.

The soft curve of his cheeks made him look like he belonged in the junior high of the school, but the bobbing Adam’s apple and charcoal-gray uniform reserved for the senior-high wing of SMA told Kibum he was probably their age at least.

Onew looked around confused. It sounded like the others were trying to get him off the hook. But amount of the vase was still ringing in his head. How was he going to deal with this? How is he going to explain this to his father?

At the thought of his father, Jinki felt the prickle of tears in his eyes. He can’t do this to his dad. He’s already dealing with so much, he can’t add more to it. Panic started filling Onew’s chest, making it hard to breath. There must be a way for him to work this out, without getting his father involved. None of these kids would actually need the money right away right? Could he promise to owe them for the rest of his life? Can he –

Someone pushed his head from behind, putting his face between his knees.

“Breathe,” someone said from above Onew. “Deep breaths.”

Onew tried, but it felt like he couldn’t drag enough air into his lungs and he was starting to feel faint again.

“Listen to me,” the voice said again. “Inhale. Exhale.”

Onew followed the rhythm of the voice. Letting his mind empty and just let the air rush into his lungs until it chased away the haze filling his sense.

A pair of hands helped him sit upright. He was a little surprise to find himself eye-level with Kibum who looked concerned. Onew watched as Kibum reached over and cupped his cheeks.

“Are you alright?” Kibum asked, becoming alarm at the pallor of the guy. “Do you have a condition?”

“Maybe we should call a doctor,” Taemin said moving behind Kibum to take a closer look.

“That’s the second time he’s almost passed out,” Kai added standing next to his twin brother.

“That’s a good idea,” Heechul agreed, pulling out his phone.

“Does any of you know his name?” Jonghyun asked, sauntering over to join the group.

“Heechul, where did you put his bag?” Minho asked, looking around the room.

“My name is Lee Onew and it’s ok, I don’t need a doctor.”

Everyone started at the voice. They watched Onew sit up straighter and regulate his breathing.

“I appreciate the concern,” Onew said giving his audience an close lip smile that made his eyes disappear into an adorable eye-smile, cheeks lifting into plump, inviting curves.

The group’s breath halted for a heartbeat. The adorable creature in front of them was no longer an unknown presence to be examined and made fun of. He become someone they want in their orbit so they can bask in that beautiful smile again.

“I think we should go to the infirmary at least,” Heechul was the first to snap out of it the spell. He took Onew’s hand, assisting him to his feet.

“Good idea, Heechul,” Taemin said, grabbing Onew’s free hand in one hand and putting the other at the small of his back.

“We’ll take him to the infirmary,” Kai volunteered, inserting himself between Heechul and Onew, severing their contact.

Before Kai could grab Onew’s freed hand, a bigger, darker hand beat him to it.

“Don’t the two of you have to leave for your mother’s event?” Minho asked, pulling Onew gently forward, dislodging the twin’s grip on the man.

“And don’t you have Kendo practice,” Jonghyun interrupted Minho. He snagged Onew around the waist and catching a forearm. He smoothly inserted himself under Onew’s shoulders, slinging his patient’s arm over his shoulder.

“I can take him, Jjong,” Key said stepping in front of Jonghyun’s pat. “He and I still has to settle the matter of the vase.”

“Yes, I would like to about that,” Onew said, stepping forward, disengaging himself from Jjong’s support.

“Oh, give it a rest, Kibum,” Taemin said behind them.

“It was an accident,” Kai declared in an exasperated tone.

“I can give you your choice of Qing vases from our personal collection,” Minho offered.

“I can give you that Renoir you’ve been wanting,” Heechul added.

“I can pay for the market value of the vase,” Jonghyun announced.

“Listen -,” Kibum started.

“I appreciate your help,” Onew interrupted, turning to face the group behind him and Kibum. “But I think, this is something, we should settle.”

Onew was very touched at the help these men were trying to offer.


End file.
